What do I need to know before I contact an agency?

Carefully check contracts with the agency and the person or family providing care beforehand

If you have contacted a placement agency and are ready to work with them, first request the following information via email:

SAMPLE ORGANISATION CONTRACT with the placement agency (this is the standard contract used by the agency when working with live-in carers)

SAMPLE WORK CONTRACT (this is the contract you enter into with the cared-for person/family)

Request the two contracts in a bilingual version (native language + German), read them carefully and remove the clauses you do not agree with.

IMPORTANT! You have the right to

to have the contracts checked by lawyers! So be careful and don't sign the contracts in a hurry!
to be informed about the two contracts before leaving your home country!

Once you arrive in Austria, it will be much more difficult for you to make informed decisions or to negotiate your working conditions further.

Ask for complete information

Clarify all details with the agency before you leave the country!

We recommend that you always negotiate these things in writing (via email, messenger or WhatsApp) so that you have clear evidence in case problems arise in the future.

The following points must be clarified:

Full name of the agency, address of the agency's head office, telephone number of the company, e-mail address
Full name of the person placing you (first and last name, telephone number or e-mail address)
What is the salary? Clarify whether the amount is gross or net! How are public holidays handled - are they paid extra?
Who pays the social security contributions (SVS)?
In what form will you receive your fees (cash / bank transfer)? Who pays them and when?
What powers of attorney do you have and how are they organised? Have you received a copy of the signed power of attorney?
Who pays for the transport? Is the transport contractually stipulated?
Are there any commissions? How much? When do they have to be paid?
Are you granted at least a two-hour break per day? You should be able to decide for yourself how to organise your working hours. This depends on the state of health of your client. In principle, more than a two-hour break per day is possible!
How is substitution organised in the event of absence (illness, accident, private matters)?

Ask for the contact details of the client or contact person in the care family you will be working for. Request the following information in writing:

First and last name, telephone number, email
The place and country where you will be working
Details of the patient's medical condition (usually included in the contract with the family)
What duties will you have?
For serious care cases: Is medical delegation in place? Will you be supervised by a qualified carer?

Request invoices and receipts

You must receive invoices for the money you pay to the agency! It is illegal to collect commissions without issuing invoices.

We urge you to notify us immediately if you come across this situation! If you can't handle it, write us a message and we will help you!

It is also illegal to pay for transport and not receive a ticket/invoice as proof.

Recruitment agencies must be registered, Romanian recruitment agencies are not allowed to charge commission!

If you decide to work with a Romanian agency, it must be registered with ITM with the CAEN code 7810 - only in this case does the agency work legally.

You can check this here:
https://www.listafirme.ro

IMPORTANT: Romanian placement agencies are prohibited by law from charging a commission to the carer!

Slovakian placement agencies

You can check the registration and business licence of Slovakian placement agencies in the business and trade register:

Website of the Slovak Business Register: www.orsr.sk

Website of the Slovak Trade Register: www.zrsr.sk